Damaged RV by dealer

Thanks for the feedback.

An unfortunate experience for sure but if you are satisfied with the outcome that is all that matters.

Well, so this is my follow up post to the one dated almost two years ago and I am doing it laying in the RV on its maiden voyage since the incident that decommissioned it almost two years. With respect to the repairs for damage, it ended up that the dealer took no responsibility for the incident whatsoever and my insurance, Progressive, really stepped up and covered the situation without an issue. There was no opportunity for loss of use in the claim. In fact, I found out that a Progressive justifiably sought subrogation from Crestview RV in Georgetown Texas and they claimed that I had cat food stored in the RV that attracted the cat as an excuse for avoiding responsibility. Baloney.

They certainly played nice while getting paid by my insurance carrier to correct their mistake. Progressive was fair and just but Crestview will never see my RV again. Once they got it stripped and cleared of all indications of cat I took possession of the RV with the intention to complete the repairs and upgrades listed above.

You may have noticed that the last movement on this was Nov 2013 and I have only recently got it operational in 2015. Well, I ended up taking 2014 to build a house for my elderly in laws to live at the back of our property and buried my parents so life got in the way and I only recently got back to it. I have completed the repairs & maintenance and many of the upgrades listed above but still have some work to do. Of all the work, the front cabinet upgrade was a challenge but turned out very nice. I now have a 42" smart TV that folds up nicely to the ceiling that completely opens up the windshield. Pics to come later.

I know that many will think I should have demanded this, that or the other. I have heard the arguments in support of demanding a "new RV or else." My profession puts me in a position to deal with insurance claims of much greater complexity than this and know that those emotional based arguments seldom fall within the legal boundaries of the contracts you have with your insurance or the RV repair center so it sounds great but such claims are seldom realized and those that do succeed require a lot of work. I haven't the time nor energy to pursue it. So I chose the reasonable position some of you recommended above and am satisfied with it.

I just wanted to provide some feedback on the reality of such a situation for those that may be interested.

That is absolutely horrifying. That poor thing must have been locked in there for months. Was the coach in for repairs, or being stored? In any event, not something to be joked about :(
I personally would not have been able to use the rv after that. I would have made the dealer take it in on trade. And it would definitely have to be disclosed to the next buyer. Cat allergies are nothing to sneeze at!

Must have been something locked in a coach in the late summer heat. Just what does semi cooked cat smell like? The renovation plan sounds great. Got any before and after images?

How much did Servo Pro cost? Might be a future idea if I ever plan to sell my coach. Probably won't recoup the cost but might improve the curb appear factor of a private sale.

Sorry to go radio silent on this but wanted to make sure a public discussion did not jeopardize the outcome. No, it wasn't a lion, just a little stray cat that fought long and hard to get out. Tore up the fabric sleeper sofa and all the shades. Cat excrement and urine widely spread. The poor cat made it under the bathroom door (1" gap) to try to get to water in the toilet, then got back out before the poor thing died on the bedroom carpet. He was badly decomposed when the poor chap at the shop opened the door and almost tossed his cookies. Sure enough, one of you replied above about cat allergies and I am radically allergic to cats.

We have had to strip the carpet, toss the sleeper sofa, toss the mattress and and everything else that is cloth. They had the Servepro hazmat team make two runs through the inside to clean every surface including the vents and treat it before I could even walk in it.

Right now, I have taken possession of the unit and will tackle the renovations myself. I am really looking forward to it. We have the sofa, mattress and wood floor on order. My list of projects over the next 6 or more months include:
- deconstruct front overhead cabinets and replace with custom cabinets and new TV
- new wood floor throughout. Ernie Eckberg has been a HUGE help coaching me through this.
- new shades throughout including motorized windshield day/night shades. Will also have to redo some of the valances to match the new fabrics throughout
- new washer dryer combo
- new ultra leather Flexsteel sleeper sofa
- new custom dash console rollout for the front
- new fabric patio and window awnings with led lights
- remove the #%*^ 3M film on the front and clear up headlights
- new tires
- new interior lighting accents yet to be designed
- stainless steel trim on exterior bay doors
We just finished all the outdoor projects in the home we designed and had built ourselves last year and were looking forward to a break and doing some camping this fall but not anymore!

I've been taking pics as I go and will start posts on these projects. Wish me luck!!!!

Replacing subfloor? How long did that cat stay in there and was the cat a lion or tiger?

After reading about this odd and unfortunate event, I thought about my coach sitting at a shop waiting for a new inverter to be installed and thinking about the two cats they have hanging around their shop!

So I stopped by to check on progress and told them this story. They said that was indeed unfortunate but they assured me their two cats never leave the store front and they check to make sure they are where they are supposed to be before they leave in the evenings. They did say there is a local coyote hanging around the area who makes a meal of feral cats that come and go.

I'll be glad to get mine back this Friday :D

You had rotten luck. My outdoor cat snuck in the house once as we were leaving for a two week vacation. The person we had coming over to feed it just assumed that it was hiding. The cat found its food in a cabinet that it was able to open, tore the bag open and fed itself. It must have gotten water from the toilet and used my son's pile of dirty laundry for a litter box. Other than having to wash his clothes 3 times on the heavy duty cycle we had no damage and my son learned to not leave so many clothes on the floor.

Absolutely agree, Davenet. I always come from a position of reasonableness.

But isn't that what everyone thinks about their position..? Lol.

I think the key here is NEGOTIATE. The dealer is playing nice about it, don't take advantage of the dealer, but work it all out. While you may incur some inconvenience, look for solutions that don't hurt the dealer financially. As someone pointed out, the dealer likely has used units on the lot, he may be able to loan you something functional for a trip, even though it may not be as good as what you own. You would probably have to except the lack of a quest room. Again, negotiate and work with the guy/gal. Working something out will likely achieve much more than taking forceful action.